The Beginning of Something Good
by Draven Skullwise
Summary: Set in GOF Harry is avoiding his classmates the day after Halloween when Fleur meets him and they discover something about each other, the beginning of something good.
1. Chapter 1

The Beginning of Something Good.

A/N: I have read a few stories concerning Harry and Fleur and while I am borrowing a few small ideas, the majority of this story is my own musings into what the relationship could be between them.

Chapter 1.

Harry Potter sat down by the lake in his favorite hiding spot, away from everyone who currently thought of him as the cheating fourth champion of the tri wizard championship. It had only been 24 hours since his name was withdrawn from the Goblet of Fire, but already he could feel the stress and the loneliness he was suffering from as a consequence of someone else putting his name in the goblet. Not even Ron, his best friend of 4 years had even believed him. That was what hurt him the most. Ron had always stood by his side and defended him when the whole school had turned their back on him for one reason or another, but Ron this time seemed to be one of the few Griffindores who were actually angry and Harry knew exactly why. He had always known that Ron was jealous to an extent of his fame, which he thought utterly ridiculous considering the cause of his initial fame and the consequences of that fateful night, mainly being brought up by his abusive muggle relatives. Ron however tended to look on Harry's life with rose tinted glasses. He did not see the suffering and torment that Harry went through, he did know how it was to have everyone staring at you and critiquing your every move. All he knew was his short sighted idea of the fame and glory that Harry had. Fame that Harry would gladly get rid of in a heart beat if he could and if it would result in the return of his parents.

Harry sighed as he shifted his thoughts from his for now ex best friend to glance over the lake. He wondered what else was going to happen this year to him to knock him over in some way. He hoped at last something good would happen to compensate for what seemed to be all the bad luck that always followed him in his shadow, just waiting to jump out and grab him. His thought and eyes shifted suddenly as he heard the snap of a twig behind him. Not knowing whether it was one of the few friends he had left, or whether it was Drako Malfoy, he quickly span around on the rock and produced his wand in a flash. He relaxed somewhat when he realized it was Fleur Delacour. He somehow knew that even though she had portrayed an outraged participant of the championship, she did not mean him harm today. He lowered his wand and smiled slightly and said "Hi Fleur."

Fleur had been startled with the speed that Harry had spun and produced his wand, but was immensely relieved when he lowered it as soon as he recognized her. She was quite ashamed of the way she had acted towards him Halloween night and once she had clamed down somewhat, she could sense nothing but honesty from him. "Hello Harry." She said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes as she stood there before him. Harry gestured to the rock and said "Take a seat." Fleur smiled and met his eyes for a moment and then walked closer and sat down next t him and they both looked out over the lake in silence for a moment. "I know what it is like, Harry." Fleur said quietly, still looking over at the lake's surface as Harry quickly glanced up at her in confusion. "I know how it is for people to judge who we are from what they have heard, rather than knowing the person within. I am half veela, Harry, as I guessed you know from the reaction of that boy you sat with the night we arrived at the castle. No one ever takes the time to know me either. They consider me as someone different. Someone to be stared at and talked about behind her back, someone who can't have feelings like the rest of them because I am so different."

Harry was stunned by her words. She did completely understand him, although from a slightly different perspective, her situation almost mirrored his. Veela were well known to ensnare the senses of men as witnessed during the quidditch world cup. He could very quickly see how no one would see past that stereotype that people had of her kind and knew she must also be very lonely and hid it with the arrogance and anger and contempt she showed the night of Halloween. Not knowing why his heart was hammering so hard in his chest, he reached out and took one of Fleur's hands in his. Her hand was so soft and small compared to his and the flesh a delicately creamy white that he found quite alluring. Fleur tensed up at the touch and quickly looked over at Harry, her eyes opened wide and her nostrils flared as if she was breathing in a scent. Harry just gazed back at her with his emerald green eyes, confused at her reaction and not sure what to do.

Fleur turned to him and moved nearer, verifying to herself what she already had, but just had to make sure. Harry sat there, as still as a statue, letting Fleur come closer to him, somehow not worried at all by her behavior. A certain peace had come over him as he held her hand and breathed in Fleur's own scent. "My god," Fleur breathed after a moment "You are the one, Harry."

Harry confused even more now and not understanding what she said "Yes I guess I am the one who understands more fully the lonely life you have led Fleur." He broke off though as he saw her smile and shake her head slightly. "No Harry, I was not talking about that. Do you know much about Veela?" Harry shook his head, a little bewildered by Fleur's question.

Fleur reached out and took his other hand into hers so they both held hands, facing each other. "Harry, Veela while having the ability to subdue men with their allure are very monogamous once they meet their fated mate. The one that they truly belong with and the pone they would spend the rest of their lives with. For this very reason, a lot of Veela often die alone and sad because their mate could be anywhere in the world. However, when they do met and they are close enough to each other, their scent identifies them to one another. Do you feel at peace with me now Harry, despite how you were feeling just before I came to see you?" Harry nodded silently as he processed this information, not sure what to think. He then said hesitantly "It is as if I am at complete peace and could stay with you here forever." Fleur smiled happily at Harry's comment and said softly "That is the sign for you, Harry. I however feel an overwhelming attraction to you, as if no other man or being could ever compare to you." Harry blushed at Fleur's words and was not sure what to say. "So, er, does this mean that I am fated to be your mate Fleur?" He asked shakily, his heart thumping even more now that he realized what the look in her eyes had changed to once she had smelled his scent. It was passion and longing. Harry was surprised to find though his own body reacting similarly, being attracted to her in a way he had never been to any girl before. It was not like the Veela enchantment, where he felt he needed to prove himself to her though, it was almost as if she was his other half and he knew he needed to be with her, to hold her and kiss her. Fleur's face took on a light glow as she blushed softly as she answered "Harry, you are under no obligation from me, if you choose not to, you do not have to. I only tell you this because I see some reaction from you as well. I only tell you this because I now know that you are the only one for me, but in the end it is your decision." Harry saw the fear in Fleur's eyes and understood she was scared that he would reject her, that he like most men would just assume this was some trick and push her away. His heart told him otherwise though and slowly, he brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them softly and kissing them softly, said "I could make no other choice Fleur; I too know you are the one for me. I could never hope to find someone who measures up to you in any way. Even though we have only just met, I feel so much more connected to you than anyone I have ever known." Seeing the hope in her eyes transform into happiness, he drew Fleur to him and they leaned forward, tilting their heads slightly and shared their first kiss.

It was everything that they both anticipated and so much more. Feelings like electric shocks ran through them from the contact of their lips and quite soon they had deepened the kiss and were kissing very passionately, Harry's arms wrapped about Fleur's waist, her hands locked about his neck and running through his hair. They finally, grudgingly, broke apart and pressed their foreheads together, looking deeply into each other's eyes. "We need to meet with out headmasters." Harry said simply and Fleur nodded and smiled, enjoying the intimate contact between them. It was quite a long time before they left their spot as they continued to explore each other's lips and tongues, but when they did, they walked hand in hand for the Great Hall as it was somewhat near dinner time, although neither had noticed the hours that had slipped by.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well here is chapter 2. I'm quite buoyed by the support I have received in my reviews and I thank you all most kindly for your response. I just hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Chapter 2.

About three quarters of an hour after they left the lake, Fleur and Harry made it to the entrance hall. Every few steps it seemed they had to stop to kiss, either one grabbing the other in a fiery passionate kiss. The result of all of this was that Harry's hair was more messy than usual and the entire great hall was filled with students eating dinner. They walked in, hand in hand and proceeded walking straight up to the teacher's table. As they walked they noticed the hall go quieter and quieter as the students noticed them and then whispering began to spring up as people caught sight of Harry's hand intertwined with Fleurs. Dumbledore watched the couple approached with his eyes twinkling merrily, as if the sight of Harry and Fleur together made him happier than anything else in this world could. Madame Maxime, who sat to the right of Dumbledore also smiled at the couple as they approached. She could see the happiness reflected in the eyes of both Fleur and Harry and knew that something significant had happened. They both stopped in front of their respective heads and Harry said quietly, so only the two people he was addressing could hear "Professor Dumbledore and Madame Maxime would Fleur and I be able to meet with you after dinner? We have something we need to talk to you about and it is quite important." Dumbledore's beard twitched slightly as his smiled broadened, hidden beneath his whiskers and replied, twinkling more than ever "Harry that would be fine. Meet us both in my office once dinner is over and we can discuss things in private." Fleur and Harry both nodded with happiness at this and turned and headed to the Griffindore table, still holding hands and sat down across from Ron and Hermione.

Ron was spaced out as usual by the presence of Fleur which amused Harry greatly and Hermione looked quite confused. Harry smiled at Hermione, as she was the only paying any attention to him at the moment and said "Hermione, I would like you to meet Fleur. We have just decided to start dating today after we talked by the lake for most of the day." Hermione's eyes widened at the fact that Harry had talked with someone other than her and Ron for such a long time and even more so when she had worked out that he must have opened up somewhat to Fleur if they had become so close in such a short time. She then smiled and said "I'm so happy for you Harry and I am very pleased to meet you Fleur. Any friend of Harrys is a friend of mine." Fleur smiled back at Hermione and nodded her thanks, saying "It would be nice to have real friends for once. Part of the problems of being part Veela is that you can never trust those around you to treat you as a person, rather than some oddity. Harry's trust in you and his high regard of you lets me know we can be very good friends." Hermione's eyes widened and she blushed from the praise and the fact that Harry thought so much of her and to say as much to Fleur.

They proceeded with dinner chatting amicably between the three and completely ignoring Ron, who once having come out of his trance, remembered he was still angry with Harry and chose to try to talk to Seamus and Dean. Harry couldn't have cared less about Ron now. As far as he was concerned if Ron could be a shallow as this, to think he would seek glory and fame and to actually be jealous of it, then he was not really much of a friend. Harry and Fleur never stopped holding hands throughout dinner, forcing them to eat one handed, which they did not mind at all. During lulls in conversation with Hermione, they would often glance at each other and catching the other's eye would smile shyly and shift slightly closer, to the point where Fleur was practically sitting on Harry's lap by the end of the meal. Hermione on her part had noticed all of this interaction and the change in Harry's demeanor from just the other night. He was despondent at the fact that Ron and everyone else it seemed except her, believed he had put his name into the goblet, despite his protests. Harry was now the happiest she had ever seen him, even happier than the times she had seen him fly, which was saying something.

When the meal finally came to a close, the three of them rose together and Fleur and Harry told Hermione they would see her later as they had to see Professor Dumbledore. She just nodded smiling and headed of towards the library to complete some of the homework that had been set for the weekend by the teachers. The couple made their way through the castle and couldn't help making use of the occasional alcove or broom cupboard that they chanced upon. They delighted in sharing this new intimacy with each other. Harry had never had any experience with girls and while he had nothing to compare kissing Fleur to, he somehow knew that anything he may have done I the past if the opportunity had presented itself, would have paled into mere worthlessness compared to how it felt to be with Fleur. Fleur for her part was also enjoying this just as much. She had kissed boys before and knew from Harry's rather frank admissions that she was the first girl he had even been with in any intimate manner. It seemed to her though that Harry was a natural at kissing as their bodies twined against one another and their tongues danced together.

They finally made it to the gargoyle at the entrance to Dumbledore's office and once giving the password headed up the flight of moving stairs and knocked on the door to the headmaster's office.

"Enter." They heard and opening the door, they found Professor Dumbledore seated behind his desk with his eyes bright and cheerful, with Madame Maxime seated slightly to the side, also with a smile on her lips as the couple entered the office and sat in front of the headmaster in the chairs he indicated. Dumbledore spoke after a moment with a smile "So Harry and

Fleur, you wished to speak with both Madame Maxime and myself?" The couple nodded and Fleur spoke up speaking more to Madame Maxime than Dumbledore. "Madame Maxime, I have found my soul mate, the one I was destined to be bonded with. It is Harry." Madame Maxime's face lit with joy at this news, as she knew the loneliness that the Veela who never met their mate went through. She rushed to the girl and threw he arms about her hugging her tight, saying "Oh Fleur, I am so happy for you! As one of my favorite students, I had always hoped you would find your mate and be happy. To find him at such a young age as well means you will have centuries together." Harry couldn't help but grin widely at this thought. He has found the love of his life at 14, meaning they had the rest of their very long lives, if he had anything to say about it, to spend together. Dumbledore enjoyed seeing Harry so happy. He could never think of a time when he had seen Harry so alive with joy and filled with so much obvious love for the French girl. He looked at Fleur and asked quietly "Miss Delacour, have you explained the bonding between the two of you and how it takes place?" Harry noticed Fleur's cheeks go slightly pink as she shook her head and said "No sir. With all of the joy and love filling my emotions, I completely forgot to explain things to Harry." She then turned to Harry and said softly "I am sorry my beloved, I was caught up in the many moments we had today to think that you may not know what has to happen now." Harry just smiled and leaning over, kissed her softly on the lips and said "It's ok love. I'm sure I'll find out now." Fleur smiled and nodded and looking questioningly at Dumbledore, she asked "Sir, could you explain the bond to Harry? It may be more understandable coming from you."

Harry waited in anticipation as he saw Dumbledore acquiesce to Fleur's request and wondered what it did all mean. "Harry," Dumbledore began, "The mating bond between a Veela and her mate is a lifelong commitment between the couple. No one can break the bond and the couple fiercely defend the other if they feel threatened of challenged in any way. As I am sure Fleur as told you, there is only one person fated to be with each Veela, their soul mate, if you please. Without this person, they can not know a fulfilling relationship with another being. They can get married and have children, don't misunderstand me, but all Veela hold out in the hope that they will meet their mate. It is quite apparent from F

Fleur's declaration and both of your behaviors that you are indeed, fated to be with one another, but in order for the bond to be fully sealed, you must join together as mates."

It took a couple of seconds for Harry to absorb the information that Dumbledore had just explained to him and when the truth of the last statement hit him he blushed furiously, making Fleur giggle and Dumbledore to chuckle as well. "Ah, Harry to be 14 once more and so innocent to the world around you. Please do not misunderstand what I said to be a directive to mate just because you need to seal the bond, but this is also a declaration of your love for one another." Harry nodded at this and understood. He knew there was no other one for him so he was relatively calm now with the fact that he and Fleur would be so intimate. Dumbledore continued "Now the main reason I bring this to your attention Harry is that once a Veela finds her soul mate they need to mate with 2 days of realizing their love. If this does not happen, then the Veela will die." Harry gasped as he heard this and looked at Fleur, concerned, for her verification. She smiled a little tremulously, but nodded, squeezing his hand softly. Harry took a deep breath and meeting Dumbledore's gaze, said "Well sir, since we have found out about one another I could never imagine a life without Fleur, ever. I am happy to spend the rest of my time on this earth being with her, so I am glad to meet the bond's requirements."

Both Dumbledore and Maxime were amazed with the maturity which Harry was treating the situation. Both of them knew from previous experience that any teenage boy would jump at the chance to be with a Veela, but Harry's reasoning to agree with the bond was for deeper reasons that many did not find at least for another decade. Fleur was not surprised at Harry's words, but was immensely touched by the depth of feeling he says them with. She knew he loved her, she could tell from the way he acted towards her, but the depth of emotion in his voice let her know that he would never consider another female over her, ever. It thrilled her to know someone felt so strongly about her. What was more thrilling to her though was that she returned Harry's feelings with equal passion and feeling. With Harry and Fleur's consent, Dumbledore quickly fire called Professor McGonagall and moments later she was sitting beside the couple having the whole relationship and the bond explained to her in detail. "Thus Minerva, I think it wise that we prepare private accommodations for Harry and Fleur as after the bond is fully formed, they are seen as married in the wizarding world." Harry was startled by this news as Professor McGonagall nodded and left quickly to make the arrangements. Seeing the look in Fleur's eyes, which he interpreted as longing to be really married, he brought forth all of his Griffindore courage and sliding from his eat, still holding Fleur's hand, knelt on one knee, saying

"Fleur, my love, I can not think of anything that would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life bonded to you. I love you with my heart, my soul, my everything. I worship the ground you walk on and thank the gods for fating me to be the luckiest man in existence. I just have one question for you though Fleur?"

Fleur, looking down, almost dazed replied softly "Yes Harry?"

Taking a deep steadying breath, Harry looked Fleur directly in the eyes, marveling once more at the warmth and compassion radiating from those sapphire blue orbs. "Fleur will you marry me?" Fleur was no longer dazed, she was now euphoric. She was more than happy to be Harry's mate, but being half witch, she also wished to be married also. The fact that this was also important to Harry made her heart burst with so much love that she leapt from the chair and into Harry's arms, crying "Yes Harry! I love you so much!" She then kissed him deeply and passionately, her hands running through his hair, their tongues meeting, completely oblivious to the startled gazes of the heads of their respective schools.

After a few minutes, the need for air forced them to part and Dumbledore took this opportunity to say "Congratulations to the two of you. While all of this is sudden, the depth of feeling that you both share is beyond question and I would be honored if you would allow me to perform the ceremony?" Harry looked at Fleur who nodded her acceptance with a smile and Harry also gave his consent. "Now the only question is do you wish to be married straight away, or do you wish for this to be more formal occasion?" Without looking at Fleur, Harry knew what she wanted and knew deep down that this was the bond at work, squeezing her hand gently; Harry replied "Sir, while the bonding needs to be done as soon as possible, I think a formal occasion would be best. I think Fleur deserves to have her family and friends here to witness the occasion. I also have a surrogate family that I wish to attend as well. This is the most important day in my life thus far sir and while sharing it with Fleur alone is special; I wish to share it with out families as well. Fleur just hugged Harry, wanting to snog him senseless for his caring of her needs and knowing what she wanted without asking. She knew for certain she was one lucky girl.

At that moment Professor McGonagall returned and Harry told the headmasters that they would let them know when they had decided a date and Dumbledore nodded, saying "That is fine. I am sure any time would be fine for the school as the majority of them would want to attend anyhow. I wish you both a good night and once more my congratulations." Madame Maxime echoed Dumbledore's sentiments and the couple both tanked her and the professor. Once they had left, Dumbledore turned to Maxime and said with a large twinkle in his eyes "I do believe we have seen a match made in heaven. One that will quite probably make the most powerful with and wizard of their age." Maxime could only nod at these words, the happiness for her student overwhelming.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Harry and Fleur followed Professor McGonagall down the stairs and along the hallway, holding hands and looking at each other every few minutes and smiling. Minerva McGonagall, while leading the couple to their new quarters, noticed this habit of their and smiled fondly at her favorite Griffindore and his new fiancée. Anyone could see the love between them and the depth of it astounded her because it had been so quick. This to her though, showed that it was fated to be if such deep feelings could be created in such a short amount of time. She knew for certain that once they had completed the bond that the feelings would only increase in their level of depth and nothing would ever come between the pair and she pitied the person who would even try.

The three of them stopped at a portrait of a regal looking man and professor indicated to the portrait, saying "This is the entrance to your private quarters. The password needs to be set by the pair of you when you first enter and it can only be changed by you. No one else has access to these quarters without your permission, as you will be recognized as a married couple you are allowed this level of privacy within the castle. Your friends Mr. Potter and Ms Delacour are welcome to come here as often as they like, but they must return to their common rooms and quarters respectively as these quarters are for your use."

Both Harry and Fleur nodded at this information and accepted the conditions that Professor McGonagall put down. She then smiled at the pair and said "I do hope you like the way your rooms are decorated. A special friend of yours Mr. Potter insisted on decorating for you." With these words she bade them good night and made her way to her quarters. Harry and Fleur briefly discussed what their password would be before deciding on mon amour. The portrait who identified himself as Sir Winsford nodded at the password and said "It is a pleasure to meet you both Mr. Potter and Ms Delacour." They both nodded and smiled and the portrait then slid aside to reveal the doorway leading to their private quarters.

They walked up a small stairway and entered a room that looked very similar to the Griffindore common room with a couch and two chairs around a small table and a loveseat facing the mantle where a fire was burning brightly in the grate. Still holding hands they walked around the room, admiring the paintings on the walls of magical creatures and walked over to a bookshelf which consisted of both of their school texts and extra books related to defense against the dark arts, charms and transfiguration. They noticed there were two doors leading from this room and entering the first, they noticed it was a bathroom with a large sunken tub in the middle of the room almost as big as a swimming pool. There were numerous taps surrounding the bath and both Harry and Fleur both promised that they would experiment very soon with al the different taps and blushed, smiling shyly at each other, realizing that they would be in the bath together and naked.

Entering the other door that was leading off of the lounge area, they found themselves in a large and ornate bedroom. The bed itself was a large king-size bed with scarlet and gold draperies and a gold colored silk coverlet upon the bed itself. They both noticed that both of their trunks were already at the foot of the bed and their clothes had already been put into the wardrobe and dresser with Fleur's accessories on one side of the dresser and Harry's on the other.

There was a small pop and the couple turned around to find Dobby standing there with a large smile on his face. "Hello Harry Potter sir and Harry Potter's Fleur. Dobby is hoping you like the way Dobby has decorated your rooms." Harry smiled at his friend and said "Thank you Dobby we both appreciate the effort you have gone to make these rooms comfortable for us. Are you working at Hogwarts now?" Dobby brightened at the praise that Harry gave him and replied, saying "I is currently working for wages for Hogwarts as a free elf as no one else seems to want to hire Dobby for wages." Dobby then gave Harry a hopeful look that Harry interpreted straight away. He quickly leaned over to Fleur and said "Love, would you like to have a house elf to help us look after the place as well as our home when we aren't at Hogwarts?" Fleur smiled at the thought of living in a home with Harry and kissing him softly, said "I think it would be a good idea my beloved as we will be busy with training for the tournament as well as studying our lessons. I also know I would like help with keeping our home tidy as I am sure we will often be too busy to clean." Harry smiled and nodded and kissed Fleur again, just because he could and turned to Dobby, saying "Yes Dobby we would like to hire you as our house elf. How much are you being paid at the moment?" Dobby shuffled his feet for a moment and said "Initially when Professor Dumbledore agreed to hire Dobby he offered Dobby 10 galleons a week, but Dobby beat him down to 5 galleons a week with 1 day off a month." Harry smiled at this and said seriously "My conditions for your employment Dobby are not negotiable. I will pay you 10 galleons a week and you will have 2 days off per week. You will also at your earliest convenience access funds from my account to purchase material to make yourself a uniform with the Potter crest upon it as you are an elf of the Potter household. Is this satisfactory?" Dobby nodded his head energetically as soon as Harry stopped talking and Harry thought to himself that he could have offered the elf more and he still would have agreed in order to become Harry's elf. Dobby then stepped forward and grasped Harry's hand and a soft glow emanated from their clasped hands as the bonding was completed. Dobby then bowed and said "Thank you very much Harry Potter sir. You have made Dobby very happy. I will now tend to my uniform. If you need anything just cal for Dobby." With these words he disappeared with a small pop.

Fleur was giggling softly when Harry turned back to Fleur. Taking her into his arms, he asked softly with a raised eyebrow "Something funny, love?" Fleur just smiled and kissed Harry's nose, saying "I just have never seen such loyalty and devotion from a house elf before. He was ecstatic to be bonded to you beloved." Harry then smiled and then explained the circumstances that caused Dobby to be freed from the Malfoy family. Upon hearing this Fleur gave him a deep kiss and said "You are a very compassionate person my beloved. I find more to love about you each and every day." Harry blushed at this and said "Love, each day I look at you and talk to you, I thank whatever fate decided to make us mates and love you so much that words can not express it." Wrapping her arms about his neck, Fleur whispered in his ear

"Well then beloved, show me how much you love me."

Harry wrapped his hands about Fleur's waist and kissed her deeply, their tongues entwining with each other and their moans echoing each other as their passion mounted. Fleur's hands ran through Harry's hair and Harry's hands ran up and down Fleur's back, making her shiver. Fleur ten dropped her hands down and began to unbutton his shirt and Harry slipped the straps to Fleurs dress off of her shoulders and unbuttoned the front of her dress, slowly revealing her silk covered breasts and her flat white stomach. The fabric then slid to the floor in a puddle about her feet as Fleur then drew Harry's shirt off of his shoulders and dropped it to the floor and ran her hands over his toned chest and flat stomach, still kissing him and purring softly in the back of her throat. Harry's heart was racing as he took in his fiancée and soul mate in her underwear. He had some idea as to what to do, but was nervous about doing something wrong and ruin it for both of them. Fleur seemed to sense this and broke off the kiss and said "Harry, this is my first time too. Let's just relax and enjoy exploring each other and find what we like." Harry just nodded, feeling grateful that she could understand him so well. Fleur led him over t the bed and sitting down she unclasped his belt and unbuttoned his pants, letting them fall to the floor. She gasped softly in surprise at what she found and smiled, very pleased. Harry noticed this and blushed deeply. Fleur just giggled at his reaction and stood up and pulled back the covers of the bed and slid between the sheets and beckoned Harry to join her. He slid in as well, pulling the covers over them. He muttered "Nox." And the candles around the room extinguished themselves.

Harry took Fleur into his arms again and they began kissing softly, their passion slowly building as their hands explored each other, stroking and caressing. When they could not take it anymore, they finally divested themselves of the rest of their clothing and joined together as one for the first time. As they moved together, their eyes began to glow softly and white glow emanated from their bodies. As they reached their pinnacle, their eyes glowed brightly and there was a flash as the magic emanating from each of their bodies combined together, forming the permanent bond between tem. They both cried out in their passion and held to each other, their lips crashing together, holding each other tight as their heartbeats, now matching rhythms, slowed and their breathing returned to normal. They both looked deeply into each other's eyes and all Harry could say was "Wow!" Fleur smiled softly and kissed him gently, saying "I agree, beloved." They snuggled together, talking softly in the dark until sleep finally claimed them.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk in his office and smiled as he felt the magical shock wave run through the castle. The castle informed him that it came from Harry's quarters and his eyes twinkled merrily as he was immensely happy that something good had finally happened to the boy he had long considered a surrogate grandson. Now that Harry was considered an adult though, life was about to become very complicated for Harry, Dumbledore knew. Not only was there the details of his inheritances to deal with, but there was also some rather difficult news he had to impart to Harry, especially now that he had Fleur. His smile faded as he realized the impact this news would have on the boy and prayed Harry had the strength to cope. A low comforting song came from Fawx that eased his heart somewhat and he smiled his thanks to his faithful companion. "Thank you my friend. I just hope Harry can find comfort in Fleur to deal with this."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

Sunlight was streaming in through the window of the bedroom when Harry woke. Throughout the night both Harry and Fleur had woken each other with kisses and caresses to reconstitute their bond at any opportunity. Consequently it was quite late in the morning by Harry's estimation of the angle of the sun. He reached over and put his glasses on and then turned in the bed and smiled as he looked at the sleeping form of his mate, his fiancée and soon to be wife. Fleur was gorgeous even in sleep, even after a night of lovemaking. Her features were serene and there was a slight smile that graced her features. Her silver blonde hair fanned out on the pillow behind her and Harry once more counted himself as being so lucky.

Sinking down into the bed more and snuggling over to Fleur, he slipped his arms about her lithe naked body and kissed her lips softly. At the contact, Fleur's head tilted up slightly to meet Harry's lips fully and her eyes fluttered open and she purred as she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss between them. What they then experienced for the next half hour was pure bliss that left them both panting and gasping by the end. Harry held Fleur in his arms as she laid her head on his chest, tracing patterns over his chest and stomach with a single finger.

"So, what would you like to do today my love?" Harry asked softly, smiling down at the woman of his dreams. She gazed back with pure adoration and said "I do not care as long as I am with you beloved. I think perhaps it is time for breakfast, since we have had an active night." Her grin and giggle was matched by Harry's own smile and laughter as they both slipped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. They resisted the temptation to repeat their actions in the bedroom in the shower and just contented themselves with deep kisses every few minutes as they helped each other wash. After toweling off and donning their clothing for the day, they left their quarters and walked hand in hand through the castle and down to the great hall.

Being a Sunday, the grate hall was quite heavily populated given the lateness of the morning as most of the school's population seemed to have taken the opportunity to sleep in as well. There was more whispering about the couple as Fleur and Harry entered and made their way over to Griffindore's table. They spotted Hermione and soon were sitting across from her and greeted her warmly, glad that Ron was absent this time. Hermione greeted them both happily as she had warmed to Fleur pretty much as soon as she talked to the French girl and realized she was nothing like what Hermione had thought of her.

"You guys would not believe the stories that have been flying all over the school about you two. People are saying that you were given private quarters and that your bonded as mates." Fleur seemed mildly shocked that the news had traveled so quickly throughout the castle, but Harry, used to this after four years simply nodded to Hermione to confirm that it was indeed true.

"According to Dumbledore because we err, consummated our bond last night, in the eyes of the wizarding world, I am now of age and have the full rights of an adult within the wizarding world." Hermione's eyes were wide at this news and she asked about the bond and what it had meant. Harry, with Fleur's help explained the bond and the importance of it and the two mates finding each other. Hermione thought it sounded so romantic that there was one person out there fated for a person and was happy that Fleur and Harry had found each other. She also made a mental note to herself to research about these types of bonds later on to find out more information.

"So," She said "Does this mean you're going to get married as well?" Fleur's smile was radiant as she nodded, saying happily "Yes. Harry proposed to me last night and I accepted. We are going to plan out the wedding though, it does not need to be rushed. We have forever with each other, so it will all be planned out and it will be perfect." She then turned and gave Harry a small kiss, letting him know how pleased she was that he had asked her. He just smiled a goofy grin and continued eating his breakfast.

At this point in their conversation, a small barn owl swept down and landed in front of Harry with a note attached to its leg. Harry unfastened the scroll and unrolling it, quickly read it, and then slid it into his pocket.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to meet with Fleur and me after we have finished breakfast to discuss some matters." He informed Hermione and Fleur. Hermione nodded, thinking it was probably related to Harry's new status in the wizarding world and Fleur just accepted Harry's words silently, not concerned as only time would tell what the headmaster had to say.

They took about another half an hour to finish breakfast chatting amiably with Hermione about classes and general happenings in the wizarding world she had gleaned from the Daily Prophet. Finally, they stood and promised to meet up with Hermione later to study and walked out of the hall, making their way up to the gargoyle guarding Professor Dumbledore's office.

As they approached the gargoyle, it slid aside automatically for them. Harry glanced at Fleur and shrugged and together they made their way up the moving spiral staircase. The door to the headmaster's office was open when they reached the top and he welcomed them both in with a smile and morning greeting. They both greeted the headmaster courteously and sat in the chairs indicated by the aged wizard. He gestured with his wand and the door to his office closed and a white flash let the couple know that Dumbledore had secured the room for privacy.

"Now Harry and Fleur, let me be the first to congratulate you for your new status. As I mentioned last night, the completion of this bond makes Harry in the eyes of the wizarding world an adult, with all the rights and responsibilities of one. Therefore I think you may want to make a trip to Gringots today to claim your full inheritance, which you are now entitled to as an adult." Harry looked puzzled at this and said "But the vault I have been using I thought that was all my parents left me." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, saying "No Harry. That was merely your trust vault. It was for you to cover your expenses while you attended Hogwarts. The Potter line stretches back to the time of the founders and are quite wealthy, indeed you are quite wealthy. I suggest, however that you find out for yourself just how much as there have been several attempts in the past to get hold of your inheritance." Harry nodded at this and Fleur said "We must go to Gringots immediately then headmaster Dumbledore. I will not allow anyone to try and steal my fiancée's money." Dumbledore assented to this request, saying "Of course, I thought you may wish to do this immediately. You can use my fire to flu to Gringots and then do whatever shopping you may need to do in Diagon alley. All I ask is that you return before night fall." Harry and Fleur quickly agreed to this and they both rose and walked to the fireplace. Taking a pinch of flu powder each they both cast the powder into the flames which instantly turned emerald green and rose high into the chimney. Harry and Fleur stepped into the flames together and held each other about the waist as they both said in unison "Gringots!" With a whoosh of flames, they were gone from Dumbledore's office and were spinning through the network.

Eventually they slowed down and stepped out into the main foyer of Gringots. Fleur with a wave of her wand cleaned both Harry's clothes as well as her own of soot and they proceeded over to a goblin at the counter. "Hello, I am here to claim my inheritance as I am now considered of age in the wizarding world. I am Harry Potter." The goblin's eyes briefly flicked up to Harry's forehead and he nodded and gesturing them to follow led them down a corridor and down to a door at the end with a sign in English and what Harry guessed was goblin. The Goblin knocked and opened the door for them to enter, but closed the door as soon as they entered leaving them alone with the occupant of the room. A very old looking goblin looked up at the couple and smiled, showing his pointed teeth. Harry walked forward holding Fleur's hand comfortingly, as he had felt her tense up at the sight of the goblin's smile. "Hello sir. I am Harry Potter and I am here to claim my full inheritance as the bond between myself and my mate is now complete, making me an adult in the wizarding world." The goblin glanced over at Fleur and then nodded, rising to his feet and extending his hand, saying "Hello Mr. Potter. My name is Raghook. I am the head of estates in Gringots. We were informed this morning of your coming of age so to speak and are ready to proceed with the ceremony." Harry raised his eyebrows in enquiry, not sure exactly what Raghook was talking about. Seeing this, the goblin smiled and said "For such old families such as yours Mr. Potter there are ceremonies set forth when the coming of age happens. All we need to do is take a drop of your blood. With this blood it then will let us know your entire name as well as what your entitlements are within Gringots." Harry nodded his assent, not really comfortable with the idea of someone using his blood, but supposed this was common practice. Fleur sensing Harry's forebodings wrapped her arm about his and whispered "It is only one drop beloved and I promise to kiss it better when we get home." Harry had to smile at the idea of that and he proceeded with Fleur to follow Raghook into another room where a large basin was set into a large table in the centre of the room.

Raghook took a silver dagger from the table which was carved with different symbols and looked to be extremely valuable. Seeing Harry's look, Raghook quickly explained "This ceremonial dagger is used in these ceremonies. It cuts only enough to allow for the right amount of blood and causes no pain to occur. Please hold out your hand Mr. Potter." Harry, quite relieved to hear it would not hurt, held out his left hand and the goblin pricked the tip of one of his fingers with the razor sharp edge of the knife. One single drop of blood dropped into the basin and the wound instantly healed. The water within the basin upon contact with the blood frothed and transformed into a roll of parchment. Raghook took the parchment and unrolled it and began to read. His eyebrows shot up in the air and his look of surprise did not go unnoticed by either Harry or Fleur. Harry asked "Mr. Raghook is there a problem?" Raghook recovered his composure somewhat and said "No Mr. Potter nothing is wrong. It is just surprising what has appeared on your entitlements." To explain, he handed the parchment to Harry. Harry unrolled it and gasped as he read.

'Harry James Potter

Heir to Potter Family Estate. Heir to title Lord Potter.

Heir to Griffindore Estate.

Heir to title Lord Griffindore.

Heir to Merlin Estate.'

Fleur who had been reading over his shoulder also gasped as she read and looking up, she could also see the shock on Harry's face that he was related to not only one of the founders of Hogwarts, but also one of the founders of wizarding society.

"So, what does this mean then? What does this mean I am entitled to?" Raghook quickly led them back into the office and taking the parchment, sat back in his chair and gestured for the couple to do the same across from him. He ordered a goblin to bring the estate and title folders for Potter, Griffindore and Merlin. A few Minutes

Later the goblin reappeared carrying three large leather bound folders. Raghook took them and dismissed the goblin. Opening each folder, he took the first sheet from each, which was a balance sheet of sorts for each estate and handed them to Harry wordlessly, the information on the sheets providing more than enough of an answer.

'Estate of Potter Family.

Amount of Cash 12 million Galleons, 5 Million Sickles and 3 million Knuts.

Number of properties: 5

2 vaults also containing miscellaneous valuables from the Potter family.'

'Estate of Griffindore Family.

Amount of cash: 200 million Galleons, 30 million Sickles and 12 million Knuts.

Number of properties: 12.

3 vaults containing miscellaneous valuables from the Griffindore family.'

'Estate of the Merlin Family.

Amount of cash: 2 billion Galleons, 100 million Sickles and 50 million Knuts.

Number of Properties: 54

6 vaults containing miscellaneous items from the Merlin Family'

Harry just gaped at the sheets in front of him for a moment, then gathering himself together with a monumental effort, looked at Fleur and said conspiratorially "Guess we don't need to worry about working if we don't want to huh?"

Fleur burst into peals of laughter at this and her admiration for her new mate rose substantially at the calm with which he dealt with his news of being probably the richest man in England and probably Europe. Raghook then coughed to gain their attention and said "There is just the formality now of signing these documents Lord Potter, then the family rings will be presented to you and you may then access your vaults." Harry nodded and taking the offered quill, signed in the sections indicated by the goblin. Once he had signed the documents, 3 rings appeared hovering in the air before him. Carefully, he took each ring and placed them on 3 of his fingers on his right hand, where once placed, they then disillusioned, making his hand appear as if he wasn't wearing any rings at all. Harry then enquired about Fleur having access to his vaults and the goblin replied because she was bonded to Harry, she automatically had access to his vaults. Harry then asked "Can I put all of the vaults with money in them together? It seems a waste to have so many vaults just for money." Raghook nodded and filled out a form which Harry signed which he then placed into his out tray, which then promptly disappeared. Harry then asked "Now is there some way that I can access my money without having to come to Gringots each time?"

Raghook nodded and then explained "There are 2 different ways you can do so Lord Potter. The first is a money pouch directly linked to your money vault. All you need to do is think of an amount place your hand into the pouch and it will be in there. Also there is a Gringots version of a credit card. It will work with both magical and muggle business's and again is directly linked to your account. Both of these methods would be linked to you and Lady Potter, thus no thief can access your account by using them. The effects of someone else trying to use either would be most unpleasant for them." Raghook grinned an evil grin at this. After a moment's thought and a quick discussion with Fleur who was still stunned to be referred to as Lady Potter, Harry applied for a money pouch for both himself and Fleur as well as a

Gringot's card for both as well. He explained to Raghook "For larger purchases it would probably be better to use the card and smaller ones with the pouch. As well as that a credit card is less conspicuous in the muggle world than a money pouch." Raghook nodded and a few minutes later the cards and pouches were presented to the couple and charmed for them personally. Harry then asked if he could have a detailed list of the items in the miscellaneous vaults and Raghook replied by handing the three folders to Harry, saying "These folders are for your records Lord Potter. They will update continually as you make transactions or as you add or remove items from the vaults." Harry nodded and rising, thanked Raghook and once more holding Fleur's hand, led her from Raghook's office and out of Gringots into Diagon alley to spend some of their new fortune.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

The first place that Harry led Fleur to was a jewelers shop. He told her to pick out her engagement ring. She squealed with delight and covered his face with small kisses. Harry just laughed at the excitement and happiness emanating off of his love. She was soon busy browsing through all of the different rings that the store had on display and was in deep consultation with one of the sales people there and tried on a number of different rings before making her final decision. The ring was wrought of a band of silver and gold melded together by magic. At the centre of the cluster was a large sapphire that matched the color in Fleur's eyes precisely. It was then surrounded by a swirl of diamonds that swept around in an arc. It was quite beautiful and Harry was impressed with Fleur's choice. He handed his Gringot's card to the sales person and the transaction was soon completed. Harry then led a glowing Fleur to Madame Malkin's robes for all occasions for some warmer clothes as from Harry had seen from her wardrobe, she had only light clothing, mostly being made from silk. After a couple of hours they departed Madame Malkin's with several bags of clothes shrunk in their pockets. Harry then stopped off at the apocathery and Flourish and Botts to pick up catalogues of their current book lists and to register for a regular catalogue to be sent by owl post.

Harry then deciding it was time to eat, led Fleur to a restaurant above the book store and they were soon led to a secluded table in a candlelit corner to peruse their menus. Harry had specifically chosen this restaurant because he knew it had a French inclination and he noticed the flush of pleasure as Fleur recognized this as well as her eyes skimmed down the menu. She leaned over the table and cupping his face between her hands, she kissed him softly, lingering for a moment before breaking contact and whispering "Thank you for being so thoughtful beloved. You constantly prove to me you are much more than any legend or story could speak about you." Harry just smiled and blushed, not used to such compliments. Their waiter then approached and they both ordered. They chatted quietly while waiting for their meal, discovering more about each other in the process. Harry found out a lot more about Beauxbatons

and he now understood why Fleur had laughed derisively when Dumbledore hoped that they would have been as comfortable at Hogwarts as they were at their own castle. From the pictures that Fleur created with her words, Harry could envision a powder blue fairy like castle with sumptuous hangings throughout the castle, with inlaid wood paneling throughout and rich carpet under foot of each student as they walked to their classes. It sounded to Harry as if the French school was the lap of luxury so to speak, while Hogwarts held more of a medieval feel and look, because of the fact that it had been around for about three times as long as the rival school.

At the end of Fleur's description of her school their meals arrived. They ate in companionable silence, although every few minutes their eyes would move to meet the other's, making sure that they were still there, that this was not some dream that would soon they would be woken from. Harry noticed that Fleur preferred much lighter cuisine than the regular fare at Hogwarts and in the United Kingdom in general. He made a mental note to himself to make sure that Dobby let the kitchens know to cook French cuisine or at least lighter cuisines for his love when they returned to the castle. Lunch was soon finished and they rose quickly and Harry paid once more using his Gringot's card and they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron and back to Hogwarts.

A few minutes later they were once more back in Professor Dumbledore's office and were sitting across from him. Harry hesitantly asked "Professor, were you aware that I am Godric Gryffindor's

heir?" Fleur, seeing the thrust of her fiancée's question looked sharply at Professor Dumbledore, determining herself whether the words that were about to come out of the aged Professor's mouth were the truth. Dumbledore sighed and said "Harry I had some idea from some things that your father James said to me on occasions, but I had a pretty good idea when you managed to pull Griffindore's sword from the sorting hat in your second year to destroy the basilisk." Harry just nodded at this and then asked "I know you told me in first year that one day you would tell me the reason why Voldemort wanted to kill me and I believe now is the time to tell me sir. I have Fleur to protect now and a future that I need to fight for. I believe I have the right to know as does my fiancée."

Dumbledore considered Harry's words for a moment and then sighed as he realized what Harry said was true. Harry was now an adult within the wizarding world, which meant the blood protection offered by his relatives was effectively null and void. He was now more at risk than ever and did indeed need to know. He rose from his seat and walked over to the black cabinet set in the corner of the office. Opening it, Dumbledore took out an ornately carved bowl with runes and gems inlaid along the outer edges. Dumbledore walked back over to his desk and once more behind it, placed the bowl down and looking at Harry asked "Harry do you know what this is?" Harry shook his head in the negative and Dumbledore continued "This Harry is a pensive. It allows the user to withdraw memories from his mind and allows the user to relive them so to speak as a bystander to get more detail or to recall verbatim conversations that may have been held decades earlier." Harry just nodded as he absorbed this information ad waited for Dumbledore to continue. Dumbledore took out his wand and pointing the tip at his forehead with drew a long silvery strand from it. The memory then separated from his temple and dangled from the end of his wand until he deposited it into the pensive in front of him. "Approximately 14 years ago I was looking to hire someone for the post of Divination Professor and met up with a woman who was the great grand daughter of a well known seer. After talking with her for fifteen minutes I quickly deduced that she did not possess her ancestor's gifts and was in the process of gently letting her know that I did not think she was qualified for the position when she went into a trance and gave forth this prophecy." Dumbledore then jabbed his wand at the swirling memory and the spectral form of Sybil Trelawney rose from the silvery mass. Her ethereal voice spoke saying:

"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born to those as the seventh month dies. The dark lord will mark him as his equal, but the one will have power the dark lord knows not and neither can live while the other survives. The One with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches as the seventh month dies."

Trelawney's form then melted back into the silvery liquid and Dumbledore used his wand to replace the memory back into his mind.

Fleur held onto Harry's hand in support as Harry's mind went over the prophecy and came to the conclusion he feared the most. "So I either have to kill him, or he kills me?" He asked softly, looking up at Dumbledore. Dumbledore sighed and nodded, saying "Yes Harry. When I heard this prophecy, a death eater overheard the first part of the prophecy and told his master. That was why your parents went into hiding. Unfortunately, they chose their secret keeper poorly and Voldemort found you and met his match after killing your parents and then tried to kill you. He marked you with that scar, so there is no doubt you are the one that the prophecy names."

Harry just nodded, sitting there, too shocked to say anything much for the moment. Fleur rose from her chair and knelt down in front of Harry and took his face into her hands and said softly "No matter what beloved, I will help you. I would follow you into the very depths of hell to help you if it took that much." Harry felt a warmth running through him at Fleur's words and he leaned forward and pressing his forehead to hers and then kissing her deeply, he said "I don't know what I would do without you at a time like this, love. I am just so grateful you are here and we are together. You give me a reason to want that to win. I want our future and our family's future." Fleur just smiled at these words and kissed Harry softly before rising once more and taking her seat.

Harry then turned to Dumbledore and with a new determination in his voice, he said "Ok Professor. If I am to defeat him I am going to need to be trained. I am going to also need to take my studies a lot more seriously and I will need your help in all of this." Dumbledore smiled and nodded his head and said "I have a few suggestions that may get the ball rolling so to speak." Harry nodded and motioned for Dumbledore to continue. He did so, saying "Your full magical abilities come to fruition at the age of 17. This is not a predetermined number, but is just the way the magical core matures inside a witch or wizard. For you, however, we need to harness your full potential as soon as possible. I therefore suggest that we administer you with a potion which will cause your magical core to mature prematurely. This can be quite painful, especially if you are as powerful as I suspect you are considering your excellent defense of yourself, Sirius and Miss Granger last year from the Dementors. Once that is done, I then think we should perform a ritual which will let us know what hidden or latent talents you may have that you can use and train to your advantage. While Voldemort is still in spirit form, he will eventually rise and I think it is best to be as prepared as possible for when that time comes." Harry thought about Dumbledore's words for moment and then nodded, agreeing to taking the potion and the ritual. Dumbledore smiled proudly at his young protégé and then said "Finally one more thing I think needs to be done. I will arrange for extra training to be given to you by a number of different tutor's in different fields. They will all provide you with useful strategies and skills you can use. Once you have completed this training, I will then personally take over your training and prepare you fully for your destiny." Harry was stunned at this news that Dumbledore himself would teach him. He just nodded dumbly, accepting this new information to process later. His emotions were in a whirlwind and he did not know what to think as the full force of the prophecy hit him. Dumbledore seemed to sense this and he said softly "This is a lot to take in Harry as you have had quite a day. Why don't you and Lady Potter go down and have some dinner at the great hall and talk with your friend Miss Granger. She is a loyal friend who will be able to assist you I am sure." Harry nodded and taking Fleur's hand walked silently from the office and made his way down the spiral stairs.

Dumbledore watched after his favorite student and a small tear slipped out of the corner of his eye and slipped into his beard. "I am so sorry to have to have burdened you with this Harry." He whispered softly. "I know you will succeed though. You do have so much power you know not of. All we need to do is make you aware of it and unlock it." With these words, he also rose and made his way down to the great hall for dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Howdy all. Thanks for all the reviews I appreciate all of the positive ones and the ones that are constructively critical. I must let you all know that I am blind, thus I listened to the books rather than read them with my eyes, hence some of the spelling mistakes. I have corrected them though as each one was pointed out, so thank you. I have recently been queried about two things. The first is the fastness of the relationship between Fleur and Harry. I will put it to you this way. If you meet your soul mate, the one you are meant to spend the rest of your life with, the one who you have a very strong bond with, wouldn't your feelings for them develop quite quickly? Also I have been queried on Harry's inheritances. I merely put it logically this way. Gryffindor was around about 1000 years ago, so obviously his money would have grown a lot within that time and from what we knew he was quite powerful and where there is power in wizarding society, there is usually wealth, at least from what I see in the books. The same applies with Merlin, who is even older. The amount of money has no bearing on the story, just an added triviality. Enjoy.

Chapter 6.

Harry spent the next week of classes concentrating a lot more on his studies than before. He now knew that everything he could learn from his lessons could be important to him in the future if he was to defeat Voldemort and he was determined to be as prepared as possible. Hermione was absolutely delighted with this change in Harry and helped him during class and while studying as much as possible. She was quite surprised and pleased to find out that Harry was quite intelligent when he put his mind to what he was studying; it had just been a lack of concentration on his part, as well as a fear of a jealousy developing in Ron from him receiving better marks. He no longer cared what Ron thought, since the arrogant Pratt could not take his word on the fact of him not entering the tournament. He had more important things to do with his life than put up with people like that.

Fleur also approved of Harry's new work ethic. He had explained to her one night, just before they had gone to bed, why he was applying himself more, saying that he had to protect Fleur and their children and the world they would grow up in. She was so touched by this that she kissed him so passionately that he forgot who he was and what he had been saying. F

Fleur giggled at the dazed expression on her fiancé's face and taking his hand led him to bed.

Harry's teachers were also quite impressed in the sudden change that had occurred in Harry and it became the topic of one of their weekly meetings.

"Harry really has improved tremendously in transfiguration." McGonagall reported proudly to the other teachers. "He really seems now to concentrate a lot more and is able to grasp not only the concepts, but also the complexity of the transfigurations a much more easily than he had previously."

"Indeed!" Squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Harry has also done a marvelous job in his charms work this week. His homework also has improved dramatically. I wonder if it has anything to do with his estrangement to his friend Weasley. I always seemed to notice that Harry often watched his friend to see how he did at a particular charm before then attempting any spell himself. Perhaps he was so afraid of losing his friend, that he deliberately made himself look less competent."

The other teachers murmured their assent with the head of Ravenclaw. They all also reported the same sudden improvement in Harry's performance in their class, even Snape who said

"He is actually becoming a decent student. If Weasley has really been holding Potter back, using his inadequacy complex to guilt Potter, then I think he is less of a friend than Potter may think him."

Everyone had to agree with this assessment, even Dumbledore. Finally, he looked around at the rest of the staff and said in his usual way

"I do believe now that Harry has Lady Potter at his side, that quite a few changes will be seen in the young man. He is finding his path in the world and indeed his destiny. I have pledged to him to help him in any way I can and I also ask any of you who Harry may come to for additional help t do so as well."

Most of the teachers nodded at this, assenting to Dumbledore's request. Snape, however, looked at the headmaster emotionlessly. He had developed quite a good poker face while working for the Dark Lord during the first war and often found it come in handy when he was trying to figure out what was going on in the background. The headmaster obviously knew more than he was telling the teachers, just giving them the little information they needed to know. Being a Slytherin through and through though, Snape wanted to know the full story and find where the most benefit lay for him. He determined that the next time he saw Potter, he would read his thoughts and try to get to the bottom of the matter.

Harry was quite exhausted by the end of the week. Due to his strict regimen of study, as well as his starting to exercise in the morning, by taking a run around the lake, his mind and body were almost completely exhausted. The benefits of this regimen though were becoming plain though, at least to Harry. He found he had a lot more stamina during the day, thanks to his running and also, to Fleur's delight, at night as well. His increased activity during lessons and his accomplishment of the spells talked about during lessons also resulted in a lot less homework during the week, so the little homework that he did receive was often dispatched of as soon as he received it, working with Hermione and Fleur in Hermione's section of the library, poring through books and writing in depth answers to the questions posed by his teachers, instead of the basic and simple responses he had given in the past. He was finding himself being complimented on a regular basis from his teachers and had won Gryffindor 30 points by the end of the week by being often the second in class, behind Hermione of course, to manage to perform the required spell or work of the day. Hermione also complemented Harry on his maturity in deciding that his studies were important and wondered what had caused such a change. Harry looked at Hermione for a moment and thought deeply and came to the conclusion that he could trust her.

"Hermione, I will tell you why this weekend after I have gone through a ritual that Dumbledore wishes me to. I am not hiding this from you, I just need the time to prepare myself, is that ok?"

Hermione studied her friend for four years and saw the utter seriousness in his face and knew that something quite significant had changed his attitude and it was not just finding Fleur and developing their bond. She nodded in agreement, understanding that whatever it was, Harry did seem need to prepare himself to tell her this secret. He smiled at Hermione when she agreed and reaching over, gave her hand a squeeze, saying

"Thanks Hermione. You are truly a great friend to me."

Hermione smiled at Harry's words and kissed his cheek, saying in return

"And you, Harry, are the best friend a girl like me could ever have."

When Saturday morning came around, Harry and Fleur decided to have breakfast with the Gryffindors and especially with Hermione, as they did not know quite what the results of this ritual would be and indeed whether Harry would survive intact through it. Hermione was delighted to see them both and enthusiastically wished them both a good morning, which they returned with just as much enthusiasm, giving Hermione hugs. Hermione had noticed that Harry had become a lot more demonstrative since he had met Fleur and wondered at such a change just one person who loved Harry unconditionally in his life made. The happiness that Hermione had first picked up on when the couple announced their togetherness was a constant now with Harry and his eyes sparkled with the joy that he seemed to feel inside. Hermione often noticed the adoring looks the couple gave each other, often when they thought the other wasn't looking and thought it was sweet and romantic. She only wished that one day she would find something close to their depth of love and happiness.

Breakfast was a festive affair and lasted almost a good hour before the three students decided they had had enough. Harry had been instructed to have quite a large breakfast as the effects of this ritual sometimes sent the person it was performed upon into unconsciousness while the magic realigned with his body once it had matured. Harry had briefly explained earlier in the week, the ritual he was to undergo and Hermione had read up on the ritual as much as she could, even slipping into the restricted section to see if she could glean more information from the dark books. The information she found did not comfort her, but knowing it was Professor Dumbledore who wanted this ritual performed, Hermione understood that it must be important for Harry to have this done. She had told Harry a couple of days ago during one of their study sessions that she was coming to the hospital wing to support him, no matter what he thought or said about the matter.

"That's what best friends do for each other Harry." Hermione said with the tone that said she would tolerate no argument. "besides," She continued, smiling,"You would do the same for me if I had to do anything dangerous and don't you even try to deny it."

Harry had raised his hands in supplication and defeat, saying that she could come if she wished, but it might not be pleasant from what he had been told.

All three of them left the great hall and within a few minutes were at the entrance to the hospital wing. They were not at all surprised to find Professor Dumbledore waiting there along with Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape; even though when they had left the hall, all three Professors' were still at the head table. Dumbledore led them through to a private room that had been magically expanded so that a hospital bed sat in the middle of the large room, within a pentagram that had been drawn out on the floor with runic symbols glittering at each point of the star. The Professor's, save for Dumbledore as well as Hermione were directed through a doorway at the far end of the room and sat in the comfortable chairs that were there; seated behind a magical protective barrier that would hopefully, prevent anything that may come flying towards them to not harm them in any way. Once Dumbledore was sure that the observers were safe behind the barrier that he had constructed with Professor Flitwick's help and making sure that Harry was comfortable, walked over to Harry with a goblet of a bright blue liquid.

"Harry, before we begin, I need you to take this flushing draught. This is to make sure that there no impurities or potions in your system which may somehow, interfere with the ritual."

Harry nodded his understanding and taking the goblet, drained it quickly. Nothing of great consequence happened and Harry lay back down again and relaxed his body. Dumbledore then raised his wand, which then transfigured into his mage's staff. He began to chant in a foreign tongue which neither Harry, nor any of the others within the room had heard. The first part of the ritual was to set the spirit and consciousness in stasis to prevent more trauma than necessary and once this first part was complete, Harry appeared to be within a deep sleep and would be in this state until Dumbledore had completed the ritual and brought him back around.

Lifting his staff again, Dumbledore began the ritual of magical maturation. As he chanted, the lights around the room quietly extinguished until the only light left was the light emanating from the crystal on the top of the headmaster's staff and the glittering pentagram and runes. Part way through the ritual Harry's body began to emit a soft white glow, which to Dumbledore's eye, showed that the ritual indeed was having and effect. Not pausing he continued his chanting for the next 2 hours while the glow from Harry slowly became stronger and stronger. By the end of the 2 hours with the ritual nearly complete, Harry's form was radiating with so much magical energy that it was hard to look at his form as the brilliance was almost blinding. Reaching the pinnacle of the ritual, Dumbledore spoke the last incantation and then struck his staff down on the tip of the pentagram closest to him. The whole pentagram shone with a fierce white glow and the light merged with the brilliance radiating from Harry's prone form. There was suddenly a great concussion throughout the room, sending most of the observers to the floor and causing Dumbledore to stagger, but he managed to stay on his feet by clutching at the wall sconce just above him.

After recovering his equilibrium, Dumbledore looked over to where Harry was and his eyes widened in amazement at the sight he saw. The white light that been surrounding Harry as well s the light from the pentagram, which Dumbledore knew to be raw magic had turned into a large whirlpool with Harry as its centre. Dumbledore could see Harry's body twitching as the magical energy poured into him and fused with his magical core. He knew that if he had not put the boy's mind in stasis for this time, that he would be screaming out in great pain. This was something he knew of as he had found out about the effects of the ritual being performed without the stasis being employed in one of the great tomes of information he owned which described the ritual. Often the effect was similar to the effects of overexposure to the cruciatus curse, or worse. It either left the person completely catatonic and unable to respond to the world outside of their minds, or they became something akin to evil incarnate. It seemed that the human mind and conscious with the admission of such power not only into the magical core, but also into the mind, corrupted the patient so thoroughly, that they were lost to the light and good forever. Most of them, for their own safety as well as that of the wizarding world had been authorized by the ministry to be kissed by the

Dementors immediately, as soon as it became clear that their rehabilitation was beyond hope. A little intense study about the problem soon provided the addition of the stasis fields placed on the mind and spirit, thus preventing those dire consequences.

Once the whirlwind vortex of magic had all been drawn into Harry's body, Dumbledore walked over and with a wave of his wand he wiped the floor clean of the pentagram and runes. He then ended the stasis, but then cast a sleeping spell over Harry that would make him sleep until the following morning, allowing his body and magical core to integrate more thoroughly before he came back to consciousness. Madame Pomfrey who had been waiting outside of the room now came in on Dumbledore's signal and moved Harry's bed with her wand back through the doors and out into the main ward of the hospital and into a private corner which funnily enough, was usually where he ended up when he had been injured for one school related reason or another. Fleur and Hermione rushed through the door and promptly sat on either side of Harry and held his hand.

The three Professor's who had been witnessing the ritual watched silently for a moment and then moved off with Dumbledore when he signaled to them t follow him. With some parting words of comfort to both Fleur and Hermione, saying the ritual had gone as good as could possibly be expected, He left the hospital wing and led the teachers up to his office.

Once they arrived and sat down, Dumbledore waved his wand and a tea service appeared along with plates of biscuits and cakes. When everyone had their cups of tea and what ever delicacy they desired, McGonagall spoke up.

"Albus, not in any of my studies of the ritual did it mention a magical vortex enveloping the person the ritual is performed on and that magic being drawn into his body. Yes there was the glowing that we first saw, but nothing like that whirlwind and blast. What does it all mean?"

Dumbledore sat still for along moment, his fingers steepled his eyes looking internally, his mind working furiously at the problem, going over relevant texts that he had researched in order to perform the ritual, as well as documentation he had reviewed as chief warlock of the wizengammot. Finally, he looked up and said softly, but clearly

"I believe it is as my old friend Oliveander said to Harry when they first met. We must expect great things from Mr. Potter. It seems he is quite powerful and if he can harness his raw magical power, then Tom Riddle will have one hell of a fight on his hands and that is before we find out what other gifts Harry possesses."

They al sat silently, drinking their tea as the afternoon passed by, occasionally murmuring in conversation, but most of their thoughts on the boy laying in the hospital wing, who was currently being guarded by the two most protective women of his life, his fiancé and best friend, all three of them not knowing what any of what had happened was different and what it promised for Harry's future and one dark lord.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

Harry woke later that evening, feeling terribly thirsty and incredibly hungry. He searched for his glasses and a small feminine hand placed them gently on his face. He looked over and smiled at his beautiful fiancée and said

"Hi gorgeous. Fancy seeing you here." Fleur giggled softly, but noticing the harshness in his voice, got up and retrieved a glass of water for him to drink, which he accepted gratefully. Once he had drunk the water, Fleur then leaned over and kissed his lips softly and whispered into his ear

"I've missed you, love." Harry noticed that it was dark and realized that he must have been unconscious for hours, which was probably the longest he and Fleur had been apart since they had discovered their bond. He then noticed Hermione sitting over the other side of his bed and he greeted her warmly, saying

"Hey 'Mion, thanks for staying with me."

Hermione smiled warmly at him and responded, saying

"Of course I would. You're my best friend in the world Harry and after all we've been through don't think a life threatening ritual was going to stop me."

The three of them laughed at this, now that the danger of the situation was over and Harry relaxed back into the bed, still feeling a little tired.

"So," He said with a smile, "Since I am still in the land of the living with all my faculties, I gather the ritual worked fine?"

He saw the looks on the two girl's faces and asked worriedly

"Is there something wrong? What happened?"

It was Hermione who finally responded, saying

"

Well Harry, with those that this particular form of the ritual has been performed on before the after effects simply caused their entire body to glow as their body's magical energy was matured and the core gathered more of the magical energy from the area surrounding it. This did happen with you, just to a greater extent."

She then went on to explain the whirlpool effect that had happened as if his body had sucked in huge quantities of magic and the concussive explosion that had knocked all of them over and knocked Dumbledore against the wall. Harry was incredulous at this information.

"So does this mean then that I am quite powerful?"

Hermione responded that no one knew the answer exactly, but Professor Dumbledore forbade Harry to perform any magic until he could be thoroughly tested after his recovery in hospital. Hermione explained that this was just a precaution, since if he was a great deal more powerful now; the level of force that he had normally used before to perform spells may cause devastating consequences. Harry nodded, understanding this precaution and wondered if he would ever just have a normal school week. He then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep once more.

The next day found Harry in a room he had never been in before. Dumbledore had showed it to him that morning and explaining it was called the room of requirement.

"All you must do Harry for this room to appear is to walk by this patch of wall three times thinking of what you need the room for. It will then make a door appear in the wall and the room you desire will appear inside."

Harry thought that this sounded like a really cool idea and thought it would come in real handy for practice for dueling and strength training. He had decided after Dumbledore's revelation that he also needed to get himself into his peak physical condition. He had always been a little on the thin side, since he was starved at his Aunt and Uncle's place, but now that he had his emancipation, he would be living with Fleur at one of his places during the summer so he would no longer have that problem. Once he had gained control of his magic, he decided to implement his new idea.

Dumbledore had set up the room as a large arena with practice dummies lined up on one side with chairs for spectators on the other, well away from the spell fire.

"Ok Harry. We are first going to test just how powerful your magic has gotten from the ritual. Can you please perform the patronus charm?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry nodded and thinking of his first night with Fleur he cried out

"Expecto Patronum!"

He was dazzled as a blinding white light erupted from his wand as a stag three times as large as his previous patronus sprang forth from his wand and cantered around the room. The patronus was so bright that it was very hard to look at. Dumbledore as well as the other spectators who included Hermione, Fleur, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were quite impressed and shocked at the power this difficult spell had been created from. Dumbledore felt sorry for any dementor who ever crossed Harry's path in future. After a few moments of silence where everyone gathered their thoughts and considered the implications, Harry included, Professor Dumbledore requested Harry to perform simple spells such as expeliamus and stupefy on the dummies set out about the room. Since Harry's powers were greatly magnified now his expeliamus didn't only throw the dummy back against the wall, but tore it to shreds in the process. His stupefy spell immolated the other dummy, leaving a small pile of ash. Harry paled at the thought of actually doing that to someone. Dumbledore then led him through some exercises where he caused Harry to go into an almost meditative state to feel his magical core and the magic running through him. With careful instructions, Dumbledore managed to get Harry to understand how he could put as little or as much power into a spell as he wanted. When he had successfully performed the standard fourth year spells without any further problems, like exploding dummies, everyone left the room of requirement and went up to Professor Dumbledore's office. They all sat down in the seats that the professor conjured for them.

"We will now see what other talents that Harry possesses in order to provide the appropriate training in them so he is fully prepared for the future."

Harry understood this talk as meaning that he had not told the professors present why he had to go through all of this, just that it was necessary because of Voldemort's constant attempts to do Harry in, especially now that he was an adult and no longer had the blood protection his mother provided.

Professor McGonagall then got up and produced a blood red stone somewhat similar to the Philosopher's stone in her hand.

"This Mr. Potter," She said in her lecturing voice, "Is a stone that will tell us whether you have an animagusform. If so, then I will take you for additional lessons outside of transfiguration and will train you to achieve and maintain your form."

Harry just nodded and took the stone into his hand. For a moment the stone did nothing, then the stone glowed a soft blue color and Professor McGonagall smiled, saying

"This proves that you do have a form Mr. Potter. I'll arrange some time in my schedule and will let you know at the end of our next transfiguration lesson." Harry nodded at this news, happy that he was going to become an animagus like his father, but also hoping it would be something useful that he could use in his fight against Voldemort.

Dumbledore then walked over to a corner where there was a large basin with a pedestal. With a wave of his wand, he levitated the entire structure to the middle of a bare section of the room. He motioned Harry over and explained

"Harry, this next test will tell us of any latent powers you may have. The ritual will require one drop of your blood as well as a concentration of your raw magic for the ritual to work. When I give you the signal, I want you to concentrate on your magic within your body, like I explained earlier. I then want you to pool that magic in your wand hand and then pointing that hand into the basin release the magic in a constant stream until I say it is enough. Understand?" Harry nodded and

Dumbledore, taking a silver dagger from his robes, pricked Harry's finger. Harry felt no pain as he saw one drop of his blood enter the basin and realized that the dagger must be charmed as he felt no pain and saw that the small cut had healed as soon as one drop of blood had fallen. Dumbledore then began reciting an incantation and gestured for Harry to begin. He closed his eyes, feeling his magical core and then propelled his magic through his right arm into the tips of his fingers. Pointing his hand over the basin, Harry released the magic from his hand in what he felt was a flowing motion. He heard gasps from around the room as he did this, but paid no attention, as it took most of his concentration to keep flowing the magic into the basin until

Dumbledore tapped him on the shoulder, giving him the signal to stop. He did so with a relieved smile. He felt very tired and smiled gratefully at Fleur as she led him over to a chair, which he sat down in gratefully.

Dumbledore looked at Harry across from his desk and Harry, even though he was tired, could tell the man was impressed.

"Harry when you were putting your magic forth, were you trying to put as much magic in as possible?" He asked softly.

Harry shook his head, confused, wondering if he had done the wrong thing.

"No sir. I just let the magic flow out in a continual stream just like you asked of me. I didn't want any accidents to happen like in the room of requirement, so I thought just a gentle, steady flow would be best." Dumbledore again looked surprised, but did not say anything. He then explained to the gathering that the results of the tests would take a while to calculate and that he wanted to meet up with them all this Thursday night to discuss the results. They all nodded agreeing to this. The professors left first, leaving the three students behind. Dumbledore then turned to Harry and said

"Harry, let me tell you, I have performed this ritual many dozens of times before as it is my duty in special circumstances to do so. In all my time I have never seen anyone release so much magic in a controlled manner as you did today. You have become very powerful, but not only that, you have also a great amount of control over it in just a short amount of time. I am very impressed and am sure that your results will provide some interesting revelations." With these words, Dumbledore dismissed the three and the two girls helped Harry back to his rooms as he was truly exhausted after that experience.

As soon as Fleur laid him down on the bed and stripped him down, pulling the covers over him, he fell deeply asleep. She smiled fondly at her beloved and kissed him gently on the lips, to which he responded to slightly, even in deep sleep, causing Fleur to giggle softly. She then left the bedroom quietly and rejoined Hermione in the common area and they both continued their studies, chatting amiably, as they had become quite good friends.


End file.
